Senior Night speeches were preceded by an important message on the center videoboard Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
“Texas A&M 46, Texas 43,” flashed on the big screen, bringing a roar from 16,300 fans in the stands and a batch of high-fives and hugs on the Kansas University bench, the Jayhawks having just completed a 75-54 victory over Colorado.
“It’s been an unbelievable night,” said senior forward Christian Moody, who, along with fellow senior starters Jeff Hawkins and Stephen Vinson, staked KU to an early 10-2 lead. “It’s great to get that win and see what’s happened in the standings.”
KU’s victory combined with Texas’ loss propelled the Jayhawks (21-7 overall, 12-3 Big 12 Conference) into a tie for first place with the Longhorns (24-5, 12-3) with one game remaining. KU travels to Kansas State on Saturday, while Texas entertains Oklahoma on Sunday.
“I was so happy. I started hugging everybody. I did hug everybody,” freshman Brandon Rush said of the moment the Texas score appeared. “I’m not totally surprised. Coach Dooley (Joe, assistant) said they’d probably take a fall at A&M. They (Aggies) came through for us, and we’re back in the race.”
“Everybody’s eyes lit up when we saw that score,” noted Hawkins, who had six points, two rebounds, an assist and steal in 13 minutes. “We were all hugging. We knew Texas’ loss was big. Our whole goal is to beat out Texas and be Big 12 champs, and it at least gives us a chance.”
Vinson said the only thing that could have been better on Senior Night was if he’d hit four of four threes instead of one of four.
He was thrilled to have the chance to grab at least a share of the league title if KU can beat KSU, a team that already has defeated KU this season.
“To see we’re back in a tie for the Big 12 title, there was excitement on the bench at the end of the game,” Vinson stated. “We had our eye on the scoreboard a little bit tonight.”
The ball-hawking Jayhawks also had their eye on the basketball a lot the first half. With Vinson setting the tone early shadowing CU’s Richard Roby (10 points, 3-of-13 shooting), the Buffs hit one of their first 23 shots in falling behind, 27-7, with just 3:10 left in the half.
CU hit its final four shots of the half and lagged, 32-15, at the break after hitting five of 27 shots for 18.5 percent. The 15-point total was fewest by a conference foe in a half since Missouri’s 15 on Jan. 11, 1999. The 18.5 field-goal shooting was lowest by a conference foe since CU hit 17.9 percent in the first half on Jan. 25, 2004.
“We played as good a defense in the first 15 minutes as we have the entire year,” Self said. “I thought our defense was great. I thought Stephen played great. I can’t speak for them, but Roby never got any rhythm until the second half.”
5
First-half field goals by Colorado
19
Consecutive field-goal tries missed by CU in the first half
18.5
CU’s first-half field-goal shooting percentage
18.2
KU’s first-half free-throw percentage (2-for-11)
6
Buffaloes with at least two turnovers apiece
5
Jayhawks with at least two assists apiece
20
Free throws bricked by both teams (CU was 7-for-15, KU 10-for-22)
60
Years behind the microphone for retiring KU broadcaster Max Falkenstien
Thanks in large part to Vinson, who finished with three points and three assists in 16 minutes.
“We were out there fighting. We didn’t give them open looks,” Vinson said of a defense that held the Buffs to 31.3 percent marksmanship for the game, including seven of 25 threes.
Moody and Vinson fed Sasha Kaun for a pair of baskets in the game-opening 10-2 run, which took place with the seniors on the floor with Kaun and Rush.
The starters stayed in the game past the first TV timeout, lasting 5 1/2 minutes total, holding CU to 1-of-7 shooting with four turnovers in that crucial span.
“I remember Senior Nights in the past where they have gotten off to good starts, and we just wanted to do the same and make it be a special night, like it was,” Vinson noted. “I didn’t look at the scoreboard while we were out there, I was busy chasing Roby, but once we got out, looking up at the scoreboard, it was very gratifying to see we got off to a good start.”
Self had confidence in his senior trio.
“The plan was to try to win. That’s what I told the seniors after the game,” Self said. “I said, ‘You guys did a nice job, but you’ll remember this because you impacted the game as favorably as anybody else on our team did.’ They were key performers tonight who gave us a chance to win.”
KU bounced back nicely from the loss at Texas on Saturday, that’s for sure.
“Coach made sure we were ready for this game. He talked to us for 30 minutes when we got back from Texas,” Hawkins said. “He said, ‘We’re not out of this thing yet.'”
Tipoff for Saturday’s KU-KSU game is 3 p.m. at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan.
